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Kosintsev PA, Konovalova KY, Simonova GV. Content of 13С and 15N Isotopes in Bone Collagen of Geographical, Age, and Sex Groups of the Ural Cave Bear (Mammalia, Carnivora, Ursidae, Ursus (Spelaearctos) kanivetz Verestchagin, 1973). DOKLADY BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES : PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE USSR, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES SECTIONS 2023; 513:374-377. [PMID: 37950813 PMCID: PMC10811068 DOI: 10.1134/s001249662370076x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023]
Abstract
Data on the content of 13C and 15N isotopes in the collagen of bones of the Ural cave bear (Ursus (S.) kanivetz Verestchagin, 1973) from the North and Middle Urals were analyzed. The bones date from the first half of MIS 3. The bones of newborn individuals, individuals aged 1 year, males and females aged 2, 3, and 4 years, and older than 4 years were studied. Differences in δ13С values between age, sex, and geographical samples are not significant. With age, the value of δ15N significantly decreases, which is associated with weaning from milk nutrition to independent nutrition. The proportion of meat food in the diet of adult bears in the Middle Urals was higher than in the diet of adult bears in the North Urals. There are no noticeable differences in isotope signatures between males and females of different ages. The large cave bears of the Urals and Europe had a similar type of diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- P A Kosintsev
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia.
| | - K Yu Konovalova
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - G V Simonova
- Institute of Monitoring of Climatic and Ecological Systems Siberian Branch Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
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2
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Bădescu I, Watts DP, Katzenberg MA, Sellen DW. Maternal lactational investment is higher for sons in chimpanzees. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03153-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Maternal lactational investment can affect female reproductive rates and offspring survival in mammals and can be biased towards infants of one sex. We compared estimates of lactation effort among mothers, assessed as their potential milk contribution to age-specific infant diets (mother-infant differences in fecal stable nitrogen isotopes, δ15N), to the timing of weaning (infant age at last nursing bout) and to maternal inter-birth interval lengths for male and female infant chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) at Ngogo, Uganda. Infant males had greater proportions of milk in their age-specific diets, indicated by higher mother-infant differences in δ15N (Generalized Estimating Equation, GEE: p < 0.01). This may mean that mothers of sons showed greater lactation effort than mothers of daughters. Infant males stopped nursing at older ages than infant females (Kaplan–Meier product limit estimate, Breslow estimator: p < 0.05). Mothers of sons showed longer interbirth intervals than mothers of daughters (GEE: p < 0.01). All three measures indicated maternal lactational investment was higher for sons. Male infants may cost mothers more to ensure infant survival than female infants because males are more vulnerable and/or because maternal genetic returns on investment are greater for sons than daughters, as male philopatry means that chimpanzee mothers can have more influence on the reproductive success of sons. Chimpanzee females may trade off growth-related benefits of high lactational investment in male offspring against reduced reproductive rates.
Significance statement
Maternal investment via lactation affects the reproductive success of female mammals and their offspring and can be biased towards infants of one sex. We investigated lactational variation among wild chimpanzees in relation to infant sex using three proxies for maternal lactational investment: fecal stable nitrogen isotopes, a physiological biomarker that may provide an estimate of lactation effort; observations of nursing, which we used to establish weaning ages; and the lengths of intervals between births of surviving infants. Chimpanzee mothers biased lactational investment toward sons on all three indicators and showed reduced fecundity due to longer inter-birth intervals for mothers of sons than for mothers of daughters. These results would be expected if greater maternal investment toward sons leads to better condition and higher reproductive success for sons later in life, thus to greater inclusive fitness for mothers.
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Naito YI, Meleg IN, Robu M, Vlaicu M, Drucker DG, Wißing C, Hofreiter M, Barlow A, Bocherens H. Heavy reliance on plants for Romanian cave bears evidenced by amino acid nitrogen isotope analysis. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6612. [PMID: 32313007 PMCID: PMC7170912 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62990-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Heavy reliance on plants is rare in Carnivora and mostly limited to relatively small species in subtropical settings. The feeding behaviors of extinct cave bears living during Pleistocene cold periods at middle latitudes have been intensely studied using various approaches including isotopic analyses of fossil collagen. In contrast to cave bears from all other regions in Europe, some individuals from Romania show exceptionally high δ15N values that might be indicative of meat consumption. Herbivory on plants with high δ15N values cannot be ruled out based on this method, however. Here we apply an approach using the δ15N values of individual amino acids from collagen that offsets the baseline δ15N variation among environments. The analysis yielded strong signals of reliance on plants for Romanian cave bears based on the δ15N values of glutamate and phenylalanine. These results could suggest that the high variability in bulk collagen δ15N values observed among cave bears in Romania reflects niche partitioning but in a general trophic context of herbivory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuichi I Naito
- Department of Geosciences, Biogeology, University of Tübingen, Hölderlinstraße 12, 72074, Tübingen, Germany.
- Nagoya University Museum, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan.
| | - Ioana N Meleg
- "Emil Racoviță" Institute of Speleology, Romanian Academy, Calea 13 Septembrie, nr. 13, 050711, Sector 5, Bucharest, Romania.
| | - Marius Robu
- "Emil Racoviță" Institute of Speleology, Romanian Academy, Calea 13 Septembrie, nr. 13, 050711, Sector 5, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Marius Vlaicu
- "Emil Racoviță" Institute of Speleology, Romanian Academy, Calea 13 Septembrie, nr. 13, 050711, Sector 5, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Dorothée G Drucker
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (S-HEP), University of Tübingen, Hölderlinstraße 12, 72074, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christoph Wißing
- Department of Geosciences, Biogeology, University of Tübingen, Hölderlinstraße 12, 72074, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michael Hofreiter
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Faculty for Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, OT Golm, Germany
| | - Axel Barlow
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Faculty for Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, OT Golm, Germany
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK
| | - Hervé Bocherens
- Department of Geosciences, Biogeology, University of Tübingen, Hölderlinstraße 12, 72074, Tübingen, Germany
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (S-HEP), University of Tübingen, Hölderlinstraße 12, 72074, Tübingen, Germany
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Zachleder V, Vítová M, Hlavová M, Moudříková Š, Mojzeš P, Heumann H, Becher JR, Bišová K. Stable isotope compounds - production, detection, and application. Biotechnol Adv 2018; 36:784-797. [PMID: 29355599 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2018.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Stable isotopes are used in wide fields of application from natural tracers in biology, geology and archeology through studies of metabolic fluxes to their application as tracers in quantitative proteomics and structural biology. We review the use of stable isotopes of biogenic elements (H, C, N, O, S, Mg, Se) with the emphasis on hydrogen and its heavy isotope deuterium. We will discuss the limitations of enriching various compounds in stable isotopes when produced in living organisms. Finally, we overview methods for measuring stable isotopes, focusing on methods for detection in single cells in situ and their exploitation in modern biotechnologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vilém Zachleder
- Institute of Microbiology, CAS, Centre Algatech, Laboratory of Cell Cycles of Algae, CZ-379 81 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Milada Vítová
- Institute of Microbiology, CAS, Centre Algatech, Laboratory of Cell Cycles of Algae, CZ-379 81 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Monika Hlavová
- Institute of Microbiology, CAS, Centre Algatech, Laboratory of Cell Cycles of Algae, CZ-379 81 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Šárka Moudříková
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Ke Karlovu 5, CZ-121 16 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Peter Mojzeš
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Ke Karlovu 5, CZ-121 16 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | | | | | - Kateřina Bišová
- Institute of Microbiology, CAS, Centre Algatech, Laboratory of Cell Cycles of Algae, CZ-379 81 Třeboň, Czech Republic.
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Bădescu I, Watts DP, Katzenberg MA, Sellen DW. Alloparenting is associated with reduced maternal lactation effort and faster weaning in wild chimpanzees. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160577. [PMID: 28018647 PMCID: PMC5180145 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Alloparenting, when individuals other than the mother assist with infant care, can vary between and within populations and has potential fitness costs and benefits for individuals involved. We investigated the effects of alloparenting on the speed with which infants were weaned, a potential component of maternal fitness because of how it can affect inter-birth intervals, in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) at Ngogo, Uganda. We also provide, to our knowledge, the first description of alloparenting in this population and present a novel measure of the contribution of milk to infant diets through faecal stable nitrogen isotopes (δ15N). Using 42 mother-infant pairs, we tested associations of two alloparenting dimensions, natal attraction (interest in infants) and infant handling (holding, carrying), to the proportion of time mothers spent feeding and to maternal lactation effort (mean nursing rates and mother-infant δ15N differences). Neither natal attraction nor infant handling was significantly associated with feeding time. Infant handling was inversely associated with both measures of lactation effort, although natal attraction showed no association. Alloparenting may benefit mothers by enabling females to invest in their next offspring sooner through accelerated weaning. Our findings emphasize the significance of alloparenting as a flexible component of female reproductive strategies in some species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iulia Bădescu
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaM5S 2S2
| | - David P. Watts
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - M. Anne Katzenberg
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaT2N 1N4
| | - Daniel W. Sellen
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaM5S 2S2
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Howcroft R, Eriksson G, Lidén K. Conformity in diversity? Isotopic investigations of infant feeding practices in two iron age populations from Southern Öland, Sweden. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2012; 149:217-30. [PMID: 22826010 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2011] [Accepted: 06/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
This article presents the results of a study of infant diet at two Iron Age sites on the island of Öland, Sweden. The cemetery at Bjärby contained a large number of subadults who had survived the earliest years of life, whereas most individuals at Triberga had died by 6 months of age. To investigate whether differences in infant feeding could explain the different mortality rates, the carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur stable isotope ratios of bone and tooth dentin collagen from the two sites were analyzed. Twenty-two samples from Triberga and 102 from Bjärby yielded data that could be included in the carbon and nitrogen analysis. Twelve samples from Triberga and 42 from Bjärby were included in the sulfur analysis. The results for carbon (δ(13) C: Triberga X = -18.8, s.d. = 1.1; Bjärby X = -19.8, s.d. = 0.4), nitrogen (δ(15) N: Triberga X = 12.9, s.d. = 1.5; Bjärby X = 13.4, s.d. = 1.4), and sulfur (δ(34) S: Triberga X = 8.1, s.d. = 1.1; Bjärby X = 5.8, s.d. = 1.3) suggest that diet was broadly similar at both sites and based on terrestrial resources. At Bjärby, females and high-status individuals consumed higher-trophic level protein than other males from early childhood onward. There was some indication that the contribution of marine resources to the diet may also have differed between the sexes at Triberga. No consistent differences in breast milk intake were observed between the two sites, but there was substantial variation at each. This variation may reflect an influence of gender and social status on infant feeding decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Howcroft
- Archaeological Research Laboratory, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
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Rakotondranary SJ, Struck U, Knoblauch C, Ganzhorn JU. Regional, seasonal and interspecific variation in 15N and 13C in sympatric mouse lemurs. Naturwissenschaften 2011; 98:909-17. [PMID: 21881908 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-011-0840-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2011] [Revised: 08/17/2011] [Accepted: 08/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Madagascar provides some of the rare examples where two or more primate species of the same genus and with seemingly identical niche requirements occur in sympatry. If congeneric primate species co-occur in other parts of the world, they differ in size in a way that is consistent with Hutchinson's rule for coexisting species, or they occupy different ecological niches. In some areas of Madagascar, mouse lemurs do not follow these "rules" and thus seem to violate one of the principles of community ecology. In order to understand the mechanisms that allow coexistence of sympatric congeneric species without obvious niche differentiation, we studied food composition of two identical sized omnivorous mouse lemur species, Microcebus griseorufus and M. murinus with the help of stable isotope analyses (δ(15)N and δ(13)C). The two species are closely related sister species. During the rich season, when food seems abundant, the two species do not differ in their nitrogen isotope composition, indicating that the two species occupy the same trophic level. But they differ in their δ(13)C values, indicating that M. griseorufus feeds more on C(4) and CAM (Crassulacean-acid-metabolism) plants than M. murinus. During the lean season, M. murinus has lower δ(15)N values, indicating that the two species feed at different trophic levels during times of food shortage. Hybrids between the two species showed intermediate food composition. The results reflect subtle differences in foraging or metabolic adaptations that are difficult to quantify by traditional observations but that represent possibilities to allow coexistence of species.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Jacques Rakotondranary
- Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation, University of Hamburg, Biozentrum Grindel, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
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Oliveira EJVM, Sant’Ana LS, Ducatti C, Denadai JC, de Souza Kruliski CR. The use of stable isotopes for authentication of gadoid fish species. Eur Food Res Technol 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s00217-010-1367-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Dammhahn M, Kappeler PM. Scramble or contest competition over food in solitarily foraging mouse lemurs (Microcebus spp.): New insights from stable isotopes. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2010; 141:181-9. [PMID: 19591211 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The relationships between resource distribution, type of competition, and consequences for social organization have been formalized in the socioecological model (SEM) which predicts that ecological factors are the main determinants of female distribution. We tested this basic prediction in two solitary primates (Microcebus berthae and M. murinus) which differ in female association patterns. Using stable nitrogen and carbon isotope data of hair samples and food sources we quantified inter-specific differences in diet. delta(13)C in M. berthae reflected a diet composed mainly of insect secretions. Higher within-species as well as seasonal variation in delta(13)C of M. murinus indicated a wider trophic niche including plant and animal source food. Constantly elevated delta(15)N in M. murinus most likely reflected extended torpor during the lean season. This energy-saving strategy together with a wider, more opportunistic feeding niche might reduce female competition in this species, facilitating smaller female ranges, and a higher association potential. In contrast, delta(15)N fluctuated seasonally in M. berthae, most likely indicating varying amounts of arthropod food in the diet. Intense scramble competition over small and seasonally limited resources might lead to female spatial avoidance and a reduced association potential in M. berthae. Thus, differences in female association patterns between these two solitary foragers are due to different types of competition and overall intensities of intra-specific competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Dammhahn
- Abteilung Verhaltensökologie & Soziobiologie, Deutsches Primatenzentrum, Göttingen, Germany.
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10
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Peigné S, Goillot C, Germonpré M, Blondel C, Bignon O, Merceron G. Predormancy omnivory in European cave bears evidenced by a dental microwear analysis of Ursus spelaeus from Goyet, Belgium. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2009; 106:15390-3. [PMID: 19706401 PMCID: PMC2741261 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0907373106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous morphological and isotopic studies indicate that Late Pleistocene cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) diet ranged from mostly vegetarian to omnivory or even carnivory. However, such analyses do not provide information on seasonal diets, and only provide an average record of diet. A dental microwear analysis of 43 young and adult individuals demonstrate that, during the predormancy period, cave bears from Goyet (Late Pleistocene, Belgium) were not strictly herbivorous, but had a mixed diet composed of hard items (e.g., possibly bone), invertebrates (e.g., insects), meat (ungulates, small vertebrates), and/or plant matter (hard mast, seeds, herbaceous vegetations, and fruits). Therefore, our results indicate that cave bears at Goyet were generalist omnivores during the predormancy period, which is consistent with current data on the dietary ecology of extant bears during this season. These data also raise questions about the ecological role and causes of the extinction of cave bears.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Peigné
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7207, Centre de Recherches sur la Paléobiodiversité et les Paléoenvironnements, CP 38, 8 Rue Buffon, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France.
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Jørkov MLS, Heinemeier J, Lynnerup N. The petrous bone--a new sampling site for identifying early dietary patterns in stable isotopic studies. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2009; 138:199-209. [PMID: 18773469 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.20919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Intraskeletal variation in the composition of carbon (delta(13)C) and nitrogen (delta(15)N) stable isotopes measured in collagen is tested from various human bones and dentine. Samples were taken from the femur, rib, and petrous part of the temporal bone from well-preserved skeletons of both adults (n = 34) and subadults (n = 24). Additional samples of dentine from the root of 1st molars were taken from 16 individuals. The skeletal material is from a medieval cemetery (AD 1200-1573) in Holbaek, Denmark. Our results indicate that the petrous bone has an isotopic signal that differs significantly from that of femur and rib within the single skeleton (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively), with only minor variation seen between femur and rib. On the other hand, there was no significant difference between the petrous bone and the 1st molar. The intraskeletal variation may reflect differences in turnover rate among skeletal elements. The inner periosteal layer of the petrous bone is formed in uterus and does not undergo any further remodelling after the age of 2 years, whereas the rib and femur have a continuous turnover rate of approximately 5 and 10-20 years, respectively. From the results of this study it is believed the petrous bone may be a new useful bone element and a supplement or a proxy for teeth in the analysis of early dietary patterns as it may reflect diet in fetal stages and early years of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Louise S Jørkov
- Centre for Forensic Science, School of Conservation Sciences, University of Bournemouth, Dorset BH12 5BB, England, UK.
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12
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Dalerum F, Bennett NC, Clutton-Brock TH. Longitudinal differences in 15N between mothers and offspring during and after weaning in a small cooperative mammal, the meerkat (Suricata suricatta). RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2007; 21:1889-92. [PMID: 17510933 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.3032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Gestation and subsequent lactation are energetically costly life history events for mammalian females. We used longitudinal delta15N data from hair samples from offspring and their mothers to explore lactation patterns in a small cooperative mammal, the meerkat (Suricata suricatta). Lactation enriched hair from meerkat offspring in 15N compared with that of their mothers, and this enrichment gradually declined after weaning. Although the observed peak enrichment of approximately 1 per thousand was substantially below the predicted levels of trophic enrichment in capital versus income breeders, we suggest that our results reflect an income breeding tactic in this species. Our study supports the notion that delta15N analyses can be a useful tool to investigate lactation schedules in mammals. However, reliable conclusions from 15N data regarding the nutritional tactics of mammalian females during reproduction may be limited by our scant understanding of the effects of various physiological variables on isotope assimilation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik Dalerum
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, 0002 Pretoria, South Africa.
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Torres T, Ortiz JE, Cobo R, de Hoz P, García-Redondo A, Grün R. Hominid exploitation of the environment and cave bear populations. The case of Ursus spelaeus Rosenmüller-Heinroth in Amutxate cave (Aralar, Navarra-Spain). J Hum Evol 2006; 52:1-15. [PMID: 16996576 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2005] [Revised: 06/06/2006] [Accepted: 07/05/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Cave bears (Ursus deningeri and U. spelaeus) and hominids (Homo heidelbergensis, H. neanderthalensis, and H. sapiens) were potential competitors for environmental resources (subterranean and open air). Here, we examined the age at death of cave bear (Ursus spelaeus Rosenmüller-Heinroth) specimens from Amutxate cave in order to shed light on the effect of resource sharing between cave bears and hominids. After studying dental wear of the deciduous and permanent dentitions, the ontogenetic development of mandibles, and incremental layers of cement (annuli), we defined five age groups differentiated by marked development and size gaps. Our findings indicate that after hibernating, bears abandoned the den, thereby leaving the subterranean environment (caves) free for temporary hominid occupation-this would explain the subtle traces of hominid presence in many dens. However, a simple calculation based on age at death of subadult and adult cave bear specimens in Amutxate cave, extrapolated to the whole cave area, showed that the area surrounding this cave hosted bears for at least 9,000 years. This length of habitation, quite similar to the time-span derived from amino acid racemization and electron spin resonance, indicates that bear populations in the Amutxate cave constituted a serious constraint for hominid exploitation of the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trinidad Torres
- Biomolecular Stratigraphy Laboratory, E.T.S.I. Minas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, C/Ríos Rosas 21, E-28003 Madrid, Spain.
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Dalerum F, Angerbjörn A. Resolving temporal variation in vertebrate diets using naturally occurring stable isotopes. Oecologia 2005; 144:647-58. [PMID: 16041545 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-005-0118-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 362] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2004] [Accepted: 03/24/2005] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Assessments of temporal variation in diets are important for our understanding of the ecology of many vertebrates. Ratios of naturally occurring stable isotopes in animal tissues are a combination of the source elements and tissue specific fractionation processes, and can thus reveal dietary information. We review three different approaches that have been used to resolve temporal diet variation through analysis of stable isotopes. The most straightforward approach is to compare samples from the same type of tissue that has been sampled over time. This approach is suited to address either long or short-term dietary variation, depending on sample regime and which tissue that is sampled. Second, one can compare tissues with different metabolic rates. Since the elements in a given tissue have been assimilating during time spans specific to its metabolic rate, tissues with different metabolic rates will reflect dietary records over different periods. Third, comparisons of sections from tissues with progressive growth, such as hair, feathers, claws and teeth, will reveal temporal variation since these tissues will retain isotopic values in a chronological order. These latter two approaches are mainly suited to address questions regarding intermediate and short-term dietary variation. Knowledge of tissue specific metabolic rates, which determine the molecular turnover for a specific tissue, is of central importance for all these comparisons. Estimates of isotopic fractionation between source and measured target are important if specific hypotheses regarding the source elements are addressed. Estimates of isotopic fractionation, or at least of differences in fractionation between tissues, are necessary if different tissues are compared. We urge for more laboratory experiments aimed at improving our understanding of differential assimilation of dietary components, isotopic fractionation and metabolic routing. We further encourage more studies on reptiles and amphibians, and generally more studies utilizing multiple tissues with different turnover rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Dalerum
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
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Bocherens H, Argant A, Argant J, Billiou D, Crégut-Bonnoure E, Donat-Ayache B, Philippe M, Thinon M. Diet reconstruction of ancient brown bears (Ursus arctos) from Mont Ventoux (France) using bone collagen stable isotope biogeochemistry (13C, 15N). CAN J ZOOL 2004. [DOI: 10.1139/z04-017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
A very rich assemblage of ancient brown bears (Ursus arctos arctos Linnaeus, 1758) from Mont Ventoux caves (France) has been investigated using carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of bone collagen. The isotopic data showed that these bears were feeding in an open environment and consumed mainly plant food items. The access to livestock meat appeared to have been much more limited for these ancient brown bears than for 20th-century Pyrenean bears, suggesting that husbandry patterns had kept bears away from domestic herds. The isotopic variations observed are large according to the ontogenic stage of the bears when they died, which could be accounted for by the isotopic changes that occur during hibernation of the lactating female bear and by different time periods averaged in bone collagen, and without the need to involve different food resources for cubs relative to adult bears.
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Fernández-Mosquera D, Vila-Taboada M, Grandal-d'Anglade A. Stable isotopes data (delta13C, delta15N) from the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus): a new approach to its palaeoenvironment and dormancy. Proc Biol Sci 2001; 268:1159-64. [PMID: 11375104 PMCID: PMC1088722 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2001.1639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Palaeoclimatic data that can be extracted from the isotopic signatures of delta13C and delta15N, which are found in fossil bone collagen, should be analysed according to the specific metabolism of each species. Although Ursus spelaeus is an extinct species, its metabolism is assimilated to current, closely related species of bear. In this study, bone collagen isotopic signatures (delta13C and delta15N) of cave bears from Late Pleistocene Alpine sites were compared to those that have already been documented. The delta13C signature did not seem to follow a systematic trend according to climatic conditions, probably as a consequence of the high variability present in the values of C3 plants, which were the basis of feeding. On the contrary, the delta15N signature displayed higher values in sites corresponding to colder periods in which the delta15N signature appeared to be dominated by the physiology of dormancy. Then, due to the reuse of urea in synthesizing amino acids, the delta15N signature systematically increased along with dormancy duration. This was related to the length of winter and, in turn, depended on climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Fernández-Mosquera
- Instituto Universitario de Xeoloxía, Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruña, E-15071, Spain.
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Richards MP, Pettitt PB, Trinkaus E, Smith FH, Paunović M, Karavanić I. Neanderthal diet at Vindija and Neanderthal predation: the evidence from stable isotopes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2000; 97:7663-6. [PMID: 10852955 PMCID: PMC16602 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.120178997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/19/2000] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Archeological analysis of faunal remains and of lithic and bone tools has suggested that hunting of medium to large mammals was a major element of Neanderthal subsistence. Plant foods are almost invisible in the archeological record, and it is impossible to estimate accurately their dietary importance. However, stable isotope (delta(13)C and delta(15)N) analysis of mammal bone collagen provides a direct measure of diet and has been applied to two Neanderthals and various faunal species from Vindija Cave, Croatia. The isotope evidence overwhelmingly points to the Neanderthals behaving as top-level carnivores, obtaining almost all of their dietary protein from animal sources. Earlier Neanderthals in France and Belgium have yielded similar results, and a pattern of European Neanderthal adaptation as carnivores is emerging. These data reinforce current taphonomic assessments of associated faunal elements and make it unlikely that the Neanderthals were acquiring animal protein principally through scavenging. Instead, these findings portray them as effective predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- M P Richards
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, 6 Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3QJ, United Kingdom
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